“Oldest Running Grain Truck” Contest
The “Old Reliable” Award
by Mike Turner, General Manager
Madison Service Company
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Madison Service Company is celebrating their 75th anniversary as a cooperative serving Madison County farmers. Our cooperative was formed on March 10, 1932 by a group of farmers and the county Farm Bureau to deliver fuel to area farms. This company has evolved over time to provide not only fuel and energy products but also a wide variety of crop inputs and animal nutrition products. We have adapted to the changing agriculture environment and work side by side with our farmer owners. Madison Service Company has survived because of our genuine concern about the long-term success of our farmer owners.
In the cooperative spirit we are sponsoring a contest to promote agriculture in Madison County. In this light, just as Madison Service Company has become a valuable part of your operation, we are asking Madison County farmers to send us a story about one of their most valuable pieces of equipment. The grain truck is one of these pieces of equipment.
In 500 words or less, send us a story about your oldest, most valuable and reliable grain truck, that is still a key part of your operation. We all have stories about a truck that is very unique. Maybe only one person knows how to drive it. Maybe it is held together by baling wire or duct tape. Maybe this truck hauls most of your crop in each fall. Maybe it had a past life before becoming a grain truck. Maybe it is the only one of its type. We want to hear your story.
I can remember learning how to drive my family’s “old reliable” grain truck. Our grain truck was once an FS gas truck with a 1,500 gallon tank. Back in the mid 70’s my dad drove a gas truck for the local FS Cooperative. Our grain truck is a 1975 International 1710 Loadstar cabover. After my dad wore it out hauling fuel, he brought it home to the farm and put a 15 foot grain box on it. I can’t even begin to tell you how many bushels of grain it has hauled. Today in 2006, it still has a key role in the farming operation. In most years it hauls the majority of the grain from the field into storage on the farm one hopper at a time.
My Memorable Moments of our Grain Truck:
It is cold natured and you have to pump the accelerator to start it. If you don’t know this trick it will get flooded and will refuse to start.
Second gear is nearly impossible to find.
The gear shift drops out of third, if you let up on the accelerator.
The split shifter, well I won’t go into that.
It will overheat, especially during wheat harvest.
You don’t want to park it in cornstalks because it will catch the field on fire.
Very few of the gauges work.
The odometer is stuck on 164,000 miles and has been for over 20 years.
The knobs aren’t marked and the bed will slam down very quickly if you push the wrong one.
The defroster doesn’t help much, but wouldn’t matter anyway because when the sun is just right, you can’t see through the dust filmed windshield anyway.
I know from personal experience that it will hold 450 bushel of corn and realistically shouldn’t haul much over 325 bushel.
The park brake doesn’t work, especially after numerous times of forgetting to release it.
To put the icing on the cake, my eleven year old son is now learning how to drive it, this would be fourth generation.
My grandpa would drive it, but didn’t like to because the front end was loose and he was concerned he would drive off into the ditch if he met someone or hit a bump in the road just right.
It has been known to lose a pig or two. Especially if you forget the tailgate clips.
Despite all this I still enjoy driving it, and with the cabover and the short wheel base it is easy to maneuver around the barn lot or on the road. You can turn it around just about anywhere.
It would be my grain truck of choice.
The “old reliable” grain truck has many similarities to Madison Service Company. Words like dependable, trusty, faithful, and valuable can describe both of them.
To enter the contest, send your story of 500 words or less, plus a photo of your “old reliable” grain truck to
Madison Service Company by e-mail at mailus@madisonfs.com
or fax to (618) 488-2264
or mail to 401 Elm St, Alhambra, IL 62001.
You could also drop your entry off at any of our locations.
All entries need to be received by February 23, 2007.
The contest will be judged by:
Leroy Engelke, Alhambra Location Manager,
Rita Frazer, WSMI Farm Director
Mike Turner, General Manager.
The winner of the “Old Reliable” award will be announced in March.
The Winner will receive:
“Old Reliable” Award - magnetic door sign
$50 FS Prepaid Gas Card
One Case of Suprex Gold Motor Oil
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